Monday, July 27, 2015

WE NEED STRATEGIC APPROACH TO COMBATING ADULT LITERACY CHALLENGES

The news that the Literacy Council of Newfoundland and Labrador has to close-up due to a lack of funding is disturbing. Literacy NL has been an advocate for more literacy capacity for more than nine years. The organization has helped locals build essential skills.A huge segment of our population struggles with basic literacy. This challenge stunts our economic development, productivity and competitiveness.Literacy programs ensure greater success in school and better health and overall well being. The two greatest determinants of a child’s educational achievement are the parents’ education level and the number of books in the children’s home.Children do not exist in isolation. They come from families, and children struggling with literacy most often come from families where the parents have lower literacy levels.Loosing an advocacy group to assist delivery organizations and advocate for more adult literacy programs is a blow to addressing the adult literacy crisis in NLWe need a strategic plan, not a piecemeal approach